Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil.

Puni stood still, pretending to observe the room while listening intently to the snake statue's snake language, pondering his next move. Seeing the twins rummaging around the room tirelessly, Puni simply walked to the sofa, took out bags of snacks from his pocket, including Honey Duke toffee, crispy rice, and several packets of Zizzy Bee Candy, and placed them one by one on the carved coffee table in front of the sofa.

Then, he picked up a huge pot cake from the coffee table, tore open the packaging, and slowly ate it with a spoon, looking quite content, a stark contrast to the twins' restlessness.

"So, have you found any useful clues?" Puni asked, chewing on his cake, his words muffled. His gaze casually swept over the busy twins, his hands moving without stopping. He ate each bite with great satisfaction. The cream on the cake was delicate and smooth, and the chocolate shell was crisp and sweet, making it taste wonderful. He couldn't help but slow down his eating and savor it.

Time passed slowly, and Puni had unknowingly eaten a quarter of the large pot cake, with a little cream still on the corner of his mouth. At this moment, the twins stopped what they were doing, their previous fighting spirit gone, their faces full of dejection. They dragged their heavy steps to the sofa, sat down with a thud, and stared blankly at the snacks on the coffee table, without even reaching out to pick them up.

George spoke first: "We haven't found any clues. We've searched the entire room, but there isn't even a loose brick or a hidden compartment. I think that only a Slytherin descendant can find the real secret room. It's all a waste of our time as non-Slytherin students."

Fred sighed as well, his eyes filled with resentment: "That's right. Apart from being luxurious, there's nothing suspicious about this room. We just tapped all the walls with our fingers, and they were all the same thickness. There was nothing unusual, and we didn't hear any hollow sounds. We couldn't find anywhere to start."

As soon as he finished speaking, George's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had thought of a good idea. He sat up abruptly, his excitement rekindled, and said to Penny and Fred, "That's right! Penny, didn't you say before that the basilisk moves in the pipes of Hogwarts? Since we can't find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, why don't we break down the wall? Maybe we can find the pipes that the basilisk moves in. Finding the pipes would be the same as finding a clue to the Chamber of Secrets, wouldn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Fred immediately perked up, nodding repeatedly in agreement: "Yes, yes, that's a brilliant idea! The basilisk can't be separated from the pipes. As long as we find the pipes through which it moves, and follow them down, we're sure to find the real secret chamber, and then we'll be able to see the basilisk!"

Seeing their excited expressions, Puni couldn't help but roll his eyes. He then scooped up a large bite of cake, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed it before calmly retorting, "Stop daydreaming. Do you think Hogwarts Castle is so easy to destroy? Think about it carefully. When have you ever seen Hogwarts Castle itself damaged? Never, right? As long as there is a headmaster at Hogwarts, whether it's the current headmaster Dumbledore or any of the previous headmasters, they can activate a powerful protective shield passed down from the four great masters at any time. Moreover, the castle itself has the ability to self-repair."

As Puni spoke, he wiped the cream from the corner of his mouth. "Even when the Dark Lord was alive, it would have been difficult to break through Hogwarts' defenses, no matter how hard he tried. That's why some people say that Hogwarts is safer than Gringotts. Your idea of ​​smashing down the walls is just wishful thinking."

After saying that, he glanced at the bewildered twins and said bluntly, without giving them any face: "In my opinion, you two should go back to your dorms, wash up and go to sleep. Don't mess around here anymore. It's useless. You won't find any clues at all."

Chapter 111 The Basilisk's Weak Period?

Puni's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the twins' enthusiasm. The excitement on their faces faded again, replaced by deeper frustration. They lowered their heads, silent, without even the strength to refute. But no one expected that the twins, who were always stubborn and wouldn't listen to reason, would likely have continued their reckless behavior if Puni had tried to persuade them to give up. Instead, Puni's ruthless cold water had deflated them. Although they were still somewhat unwilling, they accepted Puni's words and probably knew in their hearts that their ideas were indeed unrealistic. Being able to believe half of it was already quite good.

The three of them stayed in the lounge for a while longer. The twins gradually couldn't stand the dull atmosphere and were unwilling to give up empty-handed. So they decided to wander around again and try their luck in other places to see if they could find any new clues. But Puni didn't want to move at all. He lay down on the sofa again, his body sinking completely into the soft silver silk sofa. He couldn't help but sigh with comfort. This sofa was even softer and more comfortable than his bed in his dormitory. It was smooth to the touch and had a strong sense of envelopment. Once he sat down, he didn't want to get up. He finally had such a chance to relax. It would be a shame not to lie here a little longer and enjoy it.

Seeing that Puni refused to get up, the twins didn't force her. After all, they knew that Puni was always carefree and once she got lazy, no one could persuade her. The two exchanged a glance, picked up a few bags of snacks from the coffee table, stuffed them into their pockets, and turned to walk towards the door. Before leaving, they didn't forget to turn back and remind Puni: "We're going out for a stroll now. If you want to leave, go back to your dorm by yourself. Be careful not to get caught by Filch."

Puni waved his hand, not even opening his eyes, and mumbled a response. He remained lying down, motionless, watching the twins disappear through the doorway and hearing the dull thud of the stone door closing. Instead of getting up, he shrank deeper into the sofa, closed his eyes, and fully enjoyed this rare moment of comfort, as if the secret room exploration had nothing to do with him.

The soft silver silk sofa enveloped Puni, and the warm firelight from the fireplace dispelled the chill of the cellar. Coupled with the fact that he had just eaten most of a sweet cauldron cake, drowsiness instantly overwhelmed him. He closed his eyes, his breathing gradually became calm and long, his brows relaxed, and a lazy smile appeared on his face. He was so comfortable that he almost fell asleep. Even the faint sound of the lake flowing in the room became the best lullaby.

Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, a loud "bang" shattered the silence of the room. The tightly closed stone door was violently flung open, and the Weasley twins rushed in like two whirlwinds, their faces full of excitement and eagerness, their clothes still somewhat disheveled, clearly having run all the way back.

As soon as Fred entered the room, he clenched his fists, opened his mouth as if to shout, and excitedly said, "Puni, you must have been secretly..."

But as soon as he spoke, his voice stopped abruptly, and the excitement on his face froze instantly. He followed the gaze and saw Puni curled up on the sofa, looking drowsy and lazy, completely unaware of their movements. He didn't look like he was going to find the secret of the secret room at all.

He swallowed the rest of his sentence, only managing to mumble, "What do we do now..."

George followed behind Fred, his fists clenched, but seeing Puni so comfortable he was almost asleep, he swallowed back the words he was about to say. He frowned, his eyes filled with doubt. They had thought that Puni would take advantage of their absence to secretly search for the secret passage in the lounge, but they hadn't expected him to actually be sleeping peacefully here without any precautions.

Puni had his eyes closed, but a subtle, almost imperceptible smile played at the corners of his lips. He wasn't really asleep; he had been awake the moment the twins entered. He was just pretending to be drowsy and about to fall asleep, not even lifting his eyelids, as if he didn't want to pay them any attention and wanted to see what these two were up to.

Seeing that Puni still didn't react, the twins didn't dare to make a sound. They quietly huddled together, lowered their voices, and whispered in each other's ears, afraid of waking the "sleeping" Puni.

Fred tilted his head slightly and whispered to George, "George, what do you think we should do? You just said you were sure we could catch Puni!"

George frowned and retorted in a low voice, "How dare you say that to me? You were the one who said it first. Puni would definitely have secretly investigated the secret of this lounge and found the hidden passage after we left. But what happened? He just fell asleep here without even moving an inch."

The two men exchanged a few words, staring at each other blankly, their faces full of confusion, completely unsure of what to do. They had rushed back excitedly, wanting to test Puni, but the current situation was completely beyond their expectations. After a moment of silence, George shook his head first, made a "go" gesture to Fred, and mouthed for him to retreat first.

Fred nodded in agreement with George's idea. The two carefully moved towards the door, holding their breath and tiptoeing, afraid of making any noise that might wake Puni. But just as they gently opened the stone door and tiptoed out of the room, preparing to close it gently, another loud "bang" rang out, and the stone door slammed shut again. The dull sound echoed in the room, instantly breaking the previous tranquility.

Puni kept his eyes closed, inwardly complaining to himself, "If these two are going to walk so quietly and close the door so loudly, what was the point of all their previous caution?"

In fact, Puni was never deceived by them from the beginning. These two had become his servants and slaves. How could he not sense their position?

Just now, the twins seemed to have left the room, but Puni could clearly sense that they hadn't really left. Instead, they stopped at the door, most likely secretly observing his movements to see if he was pretending to be asleep. Puni sneered inwardly, "Hmph, you two think you can fight me? You're still at least ten hundred years away from being ready."

Just as he was feeling smug, he sensed the twins' presence moving again, approaching the doorway. What was going on? Why were they back? Puni didn't have time to think. He immediately composed himself, quickly adjusted his position, lay back down, closed his eyes, and pretended to be fast asleep, even adjusting his breathing to be exactly the same as before.

Sure enough, less than five seconds later, an even louder "bang" rang out, and the stone door was smashed open again. The Weasley twins rushed in even faster than before, their eyes eagerly glancing at the sofa, clearly wanting to see if Penny was still asleep or had already secretly gotten up to look for clues. But what they saw was still Penny fast asleep. Penny had turned slightly, his whole body sprawled on the sofa, his head buried in the soft silk cushions, his shoulders rising and falling slightly, his breathing even. He looked like he was sleeping very soundly, as if the loud noise from the stone door hadn't woken him up. The twins stood at the doorway, looking at each other, completely bewildered, unable to tell whether Penny was really asleep or pretending.

Once everyone had completely left, Puni covered his forehead with one hand and slowly sat up from the sofa. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his face was full of annoyance and pain. Just now, in order to pretend to be asleep, he suddenly turned over and lay down, and his forehead accidentally bumped into the carved armrest of the sofa. At this moment, he felt a series of dull pains in his forehead. When he pressed it gently, the pain became more obvious, and even his eyes were slightly red.

"These two guys are so suspicious!" he muttered under his breath, a hint of barely perceptible smugness in his voice. "What a waste of time."

At this moment, in his perception, the twins' aura had completely left the cellar, heading upwards, passing through the dungeon corridor, crossing the first-floor hall, and now reaching the stairwell to the third floor, getting further and further away from here. In fact, Puni didn't wait for them to go too far. As early as when the twins' aura reached the second floor, he had already quietly gotten up, but he just sat on the sofa, holding his breath, making sure they didn't turn back halfway, until he sensed that they were completely away from the cellar before he dared to move his body with peace of mind.

Confirming that the twins wouldn't be returning, Puni's annoyance vanished instantly, replaced by a smug grin. He couldn't help but pat the sofa, a wide smile spreading across his face. He was secretly pleased with himself; he'd finally gotten rid of those two troublemakers. In the end, he'd won this little contest. His gaze slowly shifted to the black jade snake statue beside the fireplace. He shook his head helplessly and continued, "Besides, even if I knew nothing when I came in, I should know by now. After all, the clues have been whispering in my ear the whole time, never stopping."

The clue Puni mentioned was the small snake statue that had been hissing continuously. From the moment he stepped into the room, the statue had never stopped making noise. The twins, however, couldn't understand snake language and thought it was just ordinary statue sound effects, so they didn't pay any attention to it. But for Puni, who could understand snake language, the sound was simply endless noise. He stood up, slowly walked to the snake statue, crossed his arms, rolled his eyes at the statue, and said with annoyance and helplessness, "I said, can you please stop hissing? You know perfectly well that I can understand snake language. You've been hissing here ever since I came in, for almost half an hour now. It's giving me a headache."

Puni was right. The snake statue had been moving non-stop since he entered the room. It had been flicking its tongue and hissing while the twins were still in the room. However, the twins were focused on searching for clues and testing Puni, and since they couldn't understand snake language, they weren't bothered by the sound. But to Puni, every hiss was crystal clear, every word audible.

It kept repeating similar phrases, sometimes hissing urgently as if urging, "Hey! You little brat, did you hear me?" and sometimes complaining with a hint of dissatisfaction, "I can clearly sense that you speak with a snake's voice, why don't you answer me?" Not long after, it would become anxious again, hissing repeatedly, "Answer me quickly, don't pretend you didn't hear me!"

At this moment, for the first time, Puni felt that being able to understand snake language was not something to be thankful for, but rather a kind of trouble. This endless noise made his already irritable mood, which was already sore from bumping his forehead, even worse. What made him even more helpless was that when the twins were in the room earlier, he didn't dare to make the statue shut up, nor did he dare to show that he could understand snake language. He could only endure it and let the noisy sound echo in his ears, unable to even refute it.

He looked at the snake statue again, took a deep breath, and said forcefully, "But it's all good now. Those two troublemakers are gone, and no one will bother us anymore. You should shut up now. If you keep yelling, I won't be so polite."

After saying that, he leaned down slightly, his eyes fixed on the statue. If it continued to make noise, he would find a way to quiet it down completely.

The small black jade snake statue continued to flick its tongue tirelessly, its hissing incessantly, each word trying to attract Puni's attention. Its tone was full of urgency and stubbornness. When it clearly heard Puni speak fluent snake language, the hissing that had lasted for nearly half an hour came to an abrupt stop. Even its slightly twisting body froze instantly, and its tense posture slowly relaxed.

The silence lasted for three or four seconds. Then, the statue's head slowly turned, its dark stone eyes fixed on Puni. A slightly hoarse but joyful laugh escaped from the statue's mouth. The laughter was intermittent, yet it couldn't hide the excitement that had been suppressed for so long: "Hahahaha! You finally responded to me! I knew it! You clearly understood me, but you kept pretending not to hear me. It drove me crazy!"

At this moment, the little snake statue became exceptionally lifelike, completely devoid of its previous wariness and ferocity. The corners of its stone mouth were slightly upturned, and its tongue slowly flicked in and out. Every movement was imbued with human emotions, making it seem less like a cold, magical statue and more like a child who had finally found a playmate.

Puni frowned, his tone full of impatience. He glanced at the statue in front of him and said indifferently, "You've been chattering away ever since you came in. I haven't had a moment's peace. I can't even rest quietly for a while."

The little snake statue was completely unfazed by Puni's coldness. It flicked its tongue from side to side, its tone a mix of flattery and grievance: "Hehe, please have some understanding of this old man! I haven't spoken a proper word to anyone for decades, not even a single person who can understand me. It's so rare for someone to barge into this room, and to make matters worse, they have a snake-like voice. I'm just too excited to resist speaking."

Upon hearing this, Puni's expression softened slightly, and he nodded gently: "That's true. It's really not a pleasant feeling to be silent for decades."

Hearing Puni's empathy, the little snake statue seemed to explode with emotions that had been building up for a century. Its body trembled slightly, and although no tears fell, its voice was filled with a heavy sob, full of grievance and complaint: "Of course! These lonely days are really too hard to bear! Damn Slytherin, I was just guarding the castle gate peacefully, but he had to bring me to this desolate room that hardly anyone has visited in hundreds of years, trapping me here. When a few living people finally come, they are all as taciturn as him. Every time they come, they just ask me to open the passage and then leave in a hurry, without saying a single extra word to me. If this continues, I'm really going to suffocate!"

Its voice grew softer and softer, its sobs grew heavier and heavier, its forked tongue hung limply, and its once lively posture became listless, filled with a long-forgotten loneliness. It poured out all the grievances that had been accumulated for decades. As it poured out the grievances that had been accumulated for decades, the upper body of the little snake statue became more and more active, swaying back and forth, and its forked tongue flicked in and out rapidly. Even the stone scales seemed to have gained a bit more liveliness, as if it was eager to vent its emotions.

No matter how much its upper body struggled or moved, the stone base that held it in place remained completely still. As a statue firmly fixed by the stone base, it could not move an inch by its own strength and could only move within a limited range.

Puni stood to the side, watching its lively yet immobile state. Following the rhythm of the little snake statue, Puni swayed its body from side to side, its tone decisive, shattering the snake's expectations: "No matter how pitiful you sound, I can't take you out. Don't think I didn't notice; you've been enchanted with two powerful spells: a permanent fixation spell and a counterattack spell. Only Slytherin himself could cast such spells, right?"

At this point, Puni stopped swaying, leaned down to look at the snake statue, and a mocking smile appeared on his face. He deliberately asked, "What, do you really think I have the ability to break a spell cast by Slytherin himself? If I were to forcibly remove you from the pedestal, I'm afraid I would be hit by the triggered counter-curse before I even touched you, and lose my life. It's not worth it."

Upon hearing Puni's words, the swaying snake statue instantly stopped, its tone immediately lowering. The voice, which had been full of expectation, lost its confidence, yet still carried a trace of reluctant hope: "What if? There's always a possibility. If one day your magical abilities surpass those of Slytherin, then transfer me out, take me away from this desolate place, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Puni tilted his head slightly, pondered for a moment, and then slowly nodded, replying casually, "That's not impossible, but whether you can do it depends on how much hope you have. After all, Slytherin is one of the four great masters, and his magical strength is unfathomable. Surpassing him is not an easy task."

Seeing that Puni had agreed, the little snake statue instantly perked up, its upper body began to sway gently again, its tongue flicking in and out happily, its tone full of joy: "Good! I'm glad you agreed, I'll be waiting for that day!"

It paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and quickly asked, "By the way, since you promised me, shall I open the door to the secret room for you now? Would you like to go in and take a look?"

Upon hearing the words "secret chamber," Puni quickly waved his hand, his face showing obvious vigilance, and refused outright: "No, no, no, don't trick me! I know there's a basilisk monster hiding in the secret chamber. I'm not prepared at all. If I just go in like this, what if I accidentally get glared at by the basilisk monster and get killed on the spot? I don't want to risk my life."

Seeing Puni's nervous expression, the little snake statue couldn't help but shake its head, its tone carrying a hint of approval: "I didn't realize you were so meticulous and cautious. Before, quite a few young wizards with Parsleyan accents, after finding this place, couldn't wait for me to open the door to the Chamber of Secrets and rushed in. But none of them ever came out again. Although the Basilisk was left by Slytherin for his successor, he never said that the Basilisk wouldn't attack those who dared to intrude. If you can't even subdue the Basilisk and prove your abilities, how can you be worthy of being called Slytherin's successor? Those young wizards who rushed in, to put it bluntly, were all too reckless and overestimating themselves."

Puni shrugged indifferently and said calmly, "It's not about being reckless or not. It's about following your heart. You have to be careful in everything you do, keep a little caution, and consider the consequences. Otherwise, how can you live a long and peaceful life? Taking unnecessary risks is not a wise choice."

The snake statue slowly flicked its tongue, deliberately putting on an air of profound mystery. Its tone softened, carrying a hint of mystery: "Of course. If it were useless information, I wouldn't have bothered to tell you. Remember, in the next year, it's best not to try anything with the secret room, and definitely don't rush in. Because right now, it's the basilisk's strongest period, which only comes around once every fifty years."

"At its strongest?" Puni raised an eyebrow, his curiosity growing even stronger. In his understanding, basilisks, as powerful magical creatures, only grew stronger with age, and he had never heard of them weakening on their own. He couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean? Does the basilisk's strength fluctuate? Will it weaken on its own after a year? I've never heard of the basilisk's strength changing like that."

Seeing Puni's puzzled expression, the little snake statue suddenly became interested, its tone becoming cheerful, and its forked tongue waving more frequently as it patiently explained, "You don't know this, do you? Although basilisks have extremely long lifespans, far exceeding ordinary magical creatures, and their strength increases with age, their lifespan is ultimately not infinite. After all, basilisks are man-made magical creatures, not naturally born, so they always have their limitations."

It paused, softened its tone, and began to explain in detail: "Every fifty years, the basilisk must molt, which is its only way to prolong its life. If it misses the molting opportunity, its body will rapidly weaken, and it will die soon. This is an innate law of the basilisk, and no one can change it. In the period before molting, the basilisk becomes extremely ferocious, frantically searching for food and eating incessantly to accumulate enough energy to prepare for the molting. It is also during this stage that the basilisk's strength reaches its peak, several times stronger than usual, which can be considered the strongest time in its life. Even a powerful wizard would find it difficult to contend with it."

Puni listened attentively, nodding occasionally as he memorized the information. He couldn't help but ask, "What happens after shedding its skin? How strong will the basilisk be after shedding its skin?"

The little snake statue continued, its tone certain: "After shedding its skin, the basilisk's strength will decline significantly, at least by half, and it will enter a period of weakness that lasts for several years. During this period of weakness, its attack power and speed will drop drastically, making it relatively easy to deal with. This is the best time for you to subdue it. If you miss this stage, you will have to wait another fifty years."

At this point, it seemed to suddenly remember something and added, "I also remember that the previous Slytherin successor was able to enter the Chamber of Secrets and subdue the Basilisk because he happened to be there during the Basilisk's period of decline fifty years ago. He then gained Slytherin's recognition and became the true successor. If he had been there during the Basilisk's strongest period, he probably wouldn't have survived."

Upon hearing this, Puni suddenly realized what was going on and asked, "The previous successor you mentioned, could it be Tom Riddle? I saw that name in the old school records. I heard he was a very famous student at Hogwarts."

The little snake statue nodded vigorously, its tongue flicking rapidly, and said with certainty, "That's right, it's him! No other successor has been so lucky as to catch the basilisk's period of decline and successfully gain its approval."

Chapter 112 What?! Are you guys crazy? You're actually making hallucinogenic drugs?

The small snake statue slightly raised its head, its forked tongue rhythmically flicking in and out, becoming exceptionally solemn, carrying a hint of warning, as it reiterated: "I'll emphasize this again, this year is the basilisk's most powerful period in fifty years. If you dare to enter the secret chamber now, it's no different from suicide. Even if you're a snake-like creature, you're no match for it. You must wait until next year, after the basilisk has molted, its strength will plummet, at least by half. At that time, your chances of success in entering the secret chamber will be much higher, and the risks will be greatly reduced."

Puni traced the timeline, silently calculating in his mind that if this year was the Basilisk's strongest period, then next year would be the year the Basilisk shed its skin and its strength greatly diminished, which was 1992. He clearly remembered that according to the Hogwarts school year division, Harry Potter's second year was the 1992-1993 school year, and that year was also the year the Chamber of Secrets was reopened. Going back fifty years, to 1942, Tom Riddle was just sixteen years old and in his sixth year at Hogwarts. It was said that he spent five years searching for the Chamber of Secrets before finally finding the entrance and successfully becoming the heir to Slytherin. However, as soon as he opened the Chamber of Secrets, he committed a murder, killing the girl Myrtle.

Puni continued to recall, and the fragmented information gradually pieced together the whole picture. After Tom Riddle killed Myrtle, Hogwarts faced the crisis of being shut down. Fearing that his crimes would be discovered, he dared not continue to do so, so he deliberately framed Hagrid for all the crimes, making Hagrid the scapegoat and expelling him from the school. Thinking of this, Puni couldn't help but frown, a sense of doubt rising in his heart. Everything matched up perfectly.

Puni stopped talking, slowly walked to the sofa and sat down, crossed his arms and fell into deep thought. He lowered his head, his brows furrowed, and his fingertips tapped lightly on the sofa armrest. He repeatedly sorted through the clues in his mind, trying to find the connection between them. But the more he thought about it, the more he felt that things were not simple, and the doubts in his heart grew deeper and deeper. He did not notice that the little snake statue beside him was silently watching him.

The reason the snake statue proactively shared this information with Penny was because it had misunderstood the Weasley twins' persistent questioning about the Chamber of Secrets. It assumed Penny, like the Parseltongues who aspired to become Slytherin's heir, was searching for the Chamber, wanting to tame the basilisk and become the new Slytherin successor. However, the snake statue was completely unaware that its idea was flawed from the start. Penny had never had any intention of becoming Slytherin's successor, nor had he ever considered taming the basilisk.

Of course, that's possible. After all, having a basilisk as a subordinate is not bad.

Thinking of this, Puni's thoughts drifted to the more distant and hidden origins of magic. He clearly remembered that the basilisk, this man-made magical creature that defied the laws of nature, was not created by Salazar Slytherin. Its original creator was the infamous and despicable dark wizard Helbo, who lived a thousand years ago.

This name also carries an even more terrifying label in the history of magic: he is recognized by all magical historical records as the original inventor of Horcruxes, the first dark wizard to split his soul, preserve his life through artifacts, and achieve the illusory pursuit of immortality.

When these two identities overlapped, an indescribable sense of eeriness instantly enveloped Puni. On one hand, he was the instigator who cultivated the basilisk, and on the other hand, he was the creator of Horcrux magic. These two points seemed unrelated, but in fact, they were strangely connected in every way, which was really intriguing, because the entire magical world recognized that the basilisk's venom was the simplest, most direct, and most effective way to destroy Horcruxes.

This puzzled Puni, and the more he thought about it, the more contradictory it seemed. The despicable Helpo had created the basilisk and pioneered the immortality method of splitting souls and creating Horcruxes. Logically, he should have tried everything to protect his Horcruxes and eliminate any possibility of destroying them. Yet, he had allowed the ultimate monster he created to have the ability to easily destroy his ultimate means of survival.

What is this? Was he deliberately leaving a fatal backdoor for his creation? Or did he simply not foresee future developments when he created the basilisk?

Puni leaned towards the former, yet he couldn't completely convince himself. The despicable Helbo was cunning and treacherous, capable of creating Horcruxes—dark magic that defied the laws of nature—so it was impossible for him to have made such a fatal oversight. But if it wasn't a mistake, then what was his purpose? He himself was a user of Horcruxes; would he willingly leave future generations with a shortcut to easily destroy his own Horcruxes?

He thought and thought, but could not find a reasonable explanation. The more he pondered, the more confused he became. Countless questions blocked his mind and could not be resolved. Following this clue, Puni thought of Voldemort. Perhaps Tom Riddle's exposure to Horcrux magic was not a coincidence at all.

His path was most likely as follows: first, he entered the Chamber of Secrets and came into contact with the Basilisk left behind by Slytherin; then, following the origin of the Basilisk, he traced it back to its creator, the despicable Helbo; and finally, from the information left behind by this Dark Progenitor, he learned about the existence and creation of Horcruxes. The timeline also perfectly matches the fact that Tom Riddle was in his sixth year at Hogwarts, around sixteen years old, and under the guise of asking about magical knowledge, he repeatedly tested Professor Slughorn, gradually extracting the core secrets about Horcruxes.

That age was also the crucial period when he found the Chamber of Secrets, controlled the Basilisk, and committed his first crime. All the clues were linked together, and all the timelines fit together perfectly. Penny looked at the reflection of the Black Lake slowly swimming by outside the window and remained silent for a long time. One clue after another was precisely connected in Penny's mind. All the events corresponded perfectly, forcing him to admit an established fact: Voldemort's later madness and ambition all originated from the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts.

Going back to Tom Riddle's time as a Hogwarts student, he was single-mindedly searching for clues to the Chamber of Secrets. In the process, he constantly deciphered the will left behind by Salazar Slytherin, and gradually became entangled in the extreme ideology of "pure-blood supremacy," becoming paranoid and fanatical, valuing the purity of bloodlines above all else. It was this twisted obsession that pushed him step by step into darkness, ultimately transforming him into the fearsome Voldemort.

Puni couldn't help but mutter to himself, "That old guy Salazar Slytherin really left a huge scourge for future generations. Whether it's the Chamber of Secrets itself, the basilisk inside, or his extreme pure-blood ideology, in every sense, it has brought endless disasters and turmoil to the magical world."

The little snake statue had previously mentioned to him that even though the basilisk was currently at its hungriest and most ferocious, it wouldn't hunt indiscriminately within Hogwarts Castle. Instead, it would secretly travel through the castle's underground tunnels to the depths of the Forbidden Forest to hunt, thus accumulating the energy needed for molting. What intrigued him most, however, wasn't the basilisk itself, but the potential connection between it and Voldemort. He knew that Regulus was secretly pushing forward a plan. If this plan succeeded, then when the new Hogwarts school year began this September, Voldemort, who had been hiding deep in the Romanian forest, barely surviving, would leave his hiding place, possess someone, and return to England.

If Voldemort were to choose Professor Quirrell as his former ally, he would most likely infiltrate Hogwarts again and regain control of the castle's secrets. In that case, the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets would undoubtedly become Voldemort's ally once more, since the Basilisk was a creation left behind by Slytherin, and Voldemort, as Slytherin's successor, could control it through Parseltongue.

Penny maintained the curiosity typical of Ravenclaw students, bombarding the snake statue with questions about Hogwarts' hidden history, from the details of the castle's construction to the conflicts between the four great masters and the hidden secrets of the various houses. Each question was perfectly timed, neither seeming deliberate nor revealing anything, while subtly extracting more useful information. At the same time, the snake statue maintained its previous misunderstanding, believing that he was simply interested in the secrets of Hogwarts.

This black jade snake statue was already extremely talkative. It had been holding back its words for decades and had nowhere to vent. Now that Puni was willing to patiently chat with it and listen to its past, it became even more active. Its upper body kept shaking and its forked tongue flicked in and out. Almost every time Puni asked a question, it would launch into a long, rambling monologue, as if it wanted to spill all the secrets it knew without any intention of hiding anything.

During the conversation, the snake statue emphasized its "seniority" and boasted to Puni, "I'm an elder who has been in this castle since the very beginning of Hogwarts' founding, several years earlier than the Sorting Hat, which was later created by the four great masters! Although I didn't stay in the castle for many years before that Slytherin guy moved me to this desolate place, I know a lot of Hogwarts' secrets from the days I spent there. I know more than many professors who have taught at the school for decades."

Upon hearing this, Puni's face lit up with curiosity, and he took the opportunity to ask a few questions about the early days of Hogwarts. The little snake statue immediately began to recount the story with great enthusiasm, from the four great masters' original intention in building the castle to the initial settings of each house. It spoke vividly and in great detail. But just as it was about to talk about Salazar and Slytherin's past, and just mentioned "Slytherin back then...", it suddenly seemed as if something had choked it, and it abruptly shut its mouth. Its previously lively and swaying upper body instantly froze.

The next second, the snake statue began to struggle frantically, its upper body twisting violently, its head shaking forcefully, its mouth opening and closing repeatedly, making muffled "hoarse" sounds from its throat. It clearly wanted to continue speaking, but it couldn't open its mouth no matter what, as if an invisible force was tightly sealing its throat, preventing it from making any sound.

Puni frowned, carefully sensing the magical fluctuations on the little snake statue. He quickly realized that it had been gagging. He could sense that the little snake statue was still conscious, had a strong desire to confide, and was desperately resisting the restraint. However, the gagging spell was too powerful, and it could not break free. It could only struggle in vain.

Puni pondered to himself, could it be that the veil-sealing curse was triggered because it was about to discuss Slytherin's secrets? It seemed that Salazar Slytherin truly loathed people talking about his past, and had deliberately placed such a curse on this statue. As long as someone mentioned his secrets, the veil-sealing curse would be triggered immediately to prevent the information from being leaked.

Seeing the little snake statue struggling in vain, Puni couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth and slowly said, "Judging from your appearance, you probably won't be able to open your mouth for a while, right? That's perfect, so I can rest quietly for a while. Even if you can open your mouth later, don't bother me. I don't want to have a headache from your noise again."